Die-hard advocates of the internal combustion engine have good reasons to sweat: the claim that an electric battery degrades after only a few years has just been debunked. The latest data confirm that plug-in cars today last much longer than previously thought.
The fear that the battery will die and that you will have to pay a four- to five-figure sum to replace it is one of the major psychological barriers for those considering switching to electric. However, that fear has become a cliché that no longer holds.
The numbers that dismantle the cliché
The reality shows a durability that even the industry itself finds surprising. There is the case of “Miles”, a five-year-old Tesla Model 3 that travels British roads daily. With 397,000 kilometres on the odometer, it continues racking up long journeys without battery problems
The figures exceed any forecast for the sector. According to a study by data analytics firm Recurrent, reported by The Wall Street Journal, an electric car on average retains up to 95% of its original range after five years of use.
The consumer’s reluctance toward electric cars is, in reality, a thing of the past. Between 2011 and 2016, around one in twelve electric vehicles needed a battery replacement, a consequence of the absence of active thermal cooling of the battery in pioneering models like the Nissan Leaf (which did not feature liquid cooling for the battery until its third generation, in 2026). In electric cars marketed since 2022, that replacement rate has collapsed to 0.3% of the fleet, according to Recurrent data.
The key to battery longevity. The structural problems of yesteryear are history. Viet Nguyen-Tien, a researcher at the London School of Economics, explains that the internal chemistry of the cells, the electronic management systems, and the liquid active cooling have changed everything. Today, batteries achieve a lifespan comparable to that of conventional internal combustion engines.
The design itself also works in the consumer’s favor. Replacing a full pack outside of warranty remains costly (between €5,000 and €16,000), but manufacturers now design their batteries with reparability in mind.
In some newer models, it is already possible to replace only the faulty modules rather than the entire block, which reduces long-term maintenance costs. A BloombergNEF report also notes that the gross price of batteries has fallen by more than 90% since 2010 and is now approaching the $100 per kWh mark.
The driver’s behavior also turns out to be decisive in getting the most out of the car’s life. Data from Geotab show that abusing ultra-fast charging accelerates aging. A battery that is constantly subjected to high-power DC chargers loses range at twice the rate of one that is typically charged at a slow point, whether at home or in the office.
Bad habits, leaving the car parked for long periods with the battery at 0%, charging it to 100% every time, or exposing it frequently to extreme temperatures (even though this isn’t always avoidable), also deteriorate the vehicle’s internal chemistry.
A global adoption that nothing seems to slow. Experts insist that the temporary slowdown in sales in some markets should not obscure the underlying trend. In the United States, the electric market records a 25% drop after the federal subsidies were withdrawn by the Trump administration. Analysts, however, consider this political setback to be temporary. Meanwhile, in Europe, electric car sales rose 31% in 2025, reaching a market share of 26%.
Worldwide, electric vehicles already account for 15% of the global market and are expected to approach a quarter of total sales before the decade ends. The fall in myths about battery reliability will undoubtedly be one of the factors that encourages more drivers to take the plunge.
Find your ideal electric car
If you’ve considered buying an electric car, this will interest you. We’ve created the Personalised Electric Car Recommender, where not only can you see the models that fit your needs, but you’ll also get answers to the questions that may worry you most, such as price, range, or nearby charging points.
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